SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS (October 25, 2022) — Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) State Lodge President Chris Southwood issued the following statement regarding the Monday evening on-duty bludgeoning of East Moline Police Sergeant William Lind, a seven-year veteran, who remains in critical condition due to his injuries:
“Sergeant Lind was just doing his job, trying to keep his community safe by arresting an arson suspect, when the encounter turned violent and left the 34-year-old officer clinging to life. William did what he has done his entire career, running toward danger so his fellow citizens could feel safe in their homes. Now, William’s wife and children wonder if they will ever see their husband and father alive in their own home again. We ask that all the citizens of East Moline give William and his family the prayers and support they need to get through these terrible times, and to promise anew that violence against police officers will never be tolerated in our society.”
The Fraternal Order of Police, founded in 1915, is the largest organization of sworn law-enforcement officers in the United States. With a proud tradition of officers representing officers, the FOP is the most respected and most recognized police organization in the country. The Illinois FOP, chartered in 1963, is the second largest State Lodge, proudly representing more than 34,000 active-duty and retired police-officers — more than ten percent of all FOP members nationwide. Visit www.ilfop.org for more information.
